Delta Airlines And Aeromexico Team Up For Global Build With ‘Habitat For Humanity’ In Mexico

ATLANTA and MERIDA – Delta is celebrating its 12th Global Build with Habitat for Humanity International by helping build six homes in the Chicxulub neighborhood of Merida, Mexico this week. Sixty-six volunteers will participate in the build which runs March 14 – 18.

We are so proud of our longstanding partnership with Habitat for Humanity International, as our employees continue to volunteer their time and talent to impact communities across the globe,” said Tad Hutcheson, Delta’s Managing Director of Community Affairs. “These employees, along with our colleagues from Aeroméxico and two dedicated customers, truly embody the Delta difference.”

The build will also highlight two milestones for Delta – the 10th anniversary of employees participating in Delta Global Builds, the first taking place in 2006 in South Africa, and the 20th anniversary of Chairman’s Club, the airline’s most prestigious honor, in November. Each year, Chairman’s Club recognizes employees who embody Delta values and who distinguish themselves with their exceptional service to customers and the community. In celebration of both anniversaries, the Delta employees participating in this year’s build are all Chairman’s Club honorees.

The joint Delta and Aeroméxico team will work alongside future Habitat homeowners in Chicxulub to build the walls of six houses. Volunteers will help with the early stages of the house construction, including building the foundation, bathroom, kitchen facilities and two rooms. Habitat for Humanity Mexico will provide training and guidance to the families so that they can complete their new home with help from local volunteers, architects and engineers.

Delta and Aeroméxico’s teams have been working alongside one another for 22 years, and we are excited to now have the opportunity for our Aeroméxico colleagues to join us for a Delta Global Build,” said Carlos E. Hernandez, Delta’s Director in Mexico. “Delta and Aeroméxico both share a commitment to serving others, and this build allows us to put those thoughts into action as servant leaders to benefit the local community in Merida.”

For the sixth consecutive year, Delta volunteers are also joined by a SkyMiles customer who bid for the opportunity to participate through Delta’s SkyMiles Experiences online auction. Diamond Medallion member Jarrett Goetz won the experience with a bid of 311,000 miles, and is joined by his guest Renee Ricciardi.

We are grateful for Delta’s commitment to help families around the world build strength, stability and self-reliance through a place they can call home,” said Colleen Finn Ridenhour, deputy director of Corporate, Foundation and Institutional Relations at Habitat for Humanity International. “We appreciate the generosity of the Delta and Aeroméxico employees as they work alongside families in need of decent, affordable housing.”

Delta employees have helped build or rehab 221 Habitat homes in 12 countries around the world. The homes in Mexico will mark Delta’s 222 through 227 home builds in partnership with Habitat. Employees have previously participated in Delta Global Builds in Argentina, Chile, China, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, India, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa and Thailand.

Background Notes:

About Habitat for Humanity International:

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity has grown from a grassroots effort that began on a community farm in southern Georgia in 1976 to a global nonprofit housing organization in nearly 1,400 communities across the U.S. and in over 70 countries. People partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering, or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.

As a founding member of the SkyTeam airline alliance, SkyTeam offers customers more than 1,000 destinations in 178 countries served by the 20 SkyTeam airline partners, rewarding passengers with benefits including access to 516 premium airport lounges around the world. Aeromexico also offers travel options through its codeshare partnersDelta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines, Avianca, LAN, TACA and TAM with extensive connectivity in countries like Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Peru and the United States.

In 2015, Aeromexico and Delta Air Lines announced their intention to form a joint venture for flights between the United States and Mexico. Delta announced its intention to acquire up to 49% of Aeromexico. Read about our partnership which offers you the most extensive network between cities in the U.S. and Mexico, with over 1,000 weekly flights; we also run a joint aircraft maintenance facility.